Ad Turns Up Heat On Joseph, Defends Nn Business Group

NEWPORT NEWS — Walter S. Segaloff, a member of a group of prominent Newport News businesspeople, turned to advertising Sunday to rebut City Councilman Vince Joseph's criticism of the organization.

Segaloff, creator of a special academic program for needy Newport News students, also criticized Joseph's call for City Manager Ed Maroney to resign.

``After all this, I still am not sure if you are just a harmless demagogue or really a Judas, but one thing I am sure of is that you cannot be trusted!'' Segaloff said in an advertisement in the Local section of the Daily Press.

``Hopefully, Council and the citizens of Newport News will not allow you to make Ed Maroney the scapegoat to blame and sacrifice him on the altar of building your own power base!''

The ad was four columns wide and more than 13 inches deep. It ran two days before the city election, in which Joseph is running for re-election.

The ad was a response to Joseph's criticism of Newport News NOW, a business organization that Joseph has said exerts too much power over Maroney and city government.

``We've done more for the city than he has - or will ever do,'' Segaloff said Sunday.

Joseph said he saw no factual errors in Segaloff's ad but wondered why he felt the need to run it.

``They obviously feel they've done something they need to defend,'' Joseph said, referring to the NOW group. ``It really hurts me that Walter would run an ad like that.''

In recent weeks, several other candidates for City Council have joined Joseph's criticism of NOW and Maroney. The three other incumbents up for re-election, Marty Williams, Terry Martin and Jim West, support Maroney and received financial support from some NOW members.

Segaloff said Joseph had met with individual NOW members and asked for their support in his political campaign - though he declined support from the group as a whole.

``Come on Vince - who are you trying to fool? In case you don't recognize it, that is a dishonest approach to politics,'' the ad said.

The ad also enumerated NOW's civic activities, including sponsorship of the city's annual Teacher of the Year award; sponsorship of the dedication ceremonies for the commissioning of the submarine USS Newport News; and formation of a committee working to keep Fort Eustis open.

``Are these actions of power brokers or rather citizens volunteering to do their very best to make life in our city better for all people?'' Segaloff asked in his ad.

Joseph said he wondered whether the ad was legal - and he planned to bring it to the attention of state and local election officials. The ad is signed by Segaloff but does not include the normal disclaimer for political advertisements.

``The public needs to know who paid for the ad. That way you know the motivation behind the letter,'' Joseph said.

Both men said they were uninterested in carrying the argument further. ``It takes two to fight. I feel it has to end,'' Joseph said.